Freshman Carter tells why he 'made a great decision coming to Georgia'

UGA Beat Writer

Georgia football fans and those in the program celebrated a recruiting victory Tuesday when a hotshot in-state prospect announced a verbal commitment to the Bulldogs.

Lorenzo Carter on national signing day was exactly where Westover defensive lineman Trenton Thompson is now.

The Norcross pass rusher was the big prize when he revealed that he was staying home. The player rated No. 18 overall nationally in the 247sports composite ranking is now No. 7 for the Georgia defense.

“Rankings don’t mean anything when you come to college,” Carter said. “I think that was pretty much the first thing they told me when I got here, rankings go out the door.”

That’s the message the outside linebacker said he got from established players at his position on the Bulldogs that he’s already close with: junior Jordan Jenkins and sophomore Leonard Floyd.

“Just knowing you have to carry yourself with a certain swagger, I feel like if you’re ranked a 1-star or a 5-star, if you don’t have that swagger about yourself than you won’t be very productive,” Carter said.

His parents, Leo and Lisa, gave him a similar message.

Carter said Georgia is a “new day, a new start, a fresh slate,” which means he has to prove himself all over again.

“I’ve been doing my best just out here running around trying to hit the quarterback,” Carter said.

The 6-foot-6, 237-pound Carter had three tackles and a sack in the first preseason scrimmage Saturday, bringing down Faton Bauta as he tried to run away from a pursuing Carter.

“Faton asked for that red jersey so we had to do it,” Carter said. “Faton, that’s my homie, and he was talking trash before the game so I was happy I got it against him.

Quarterbacks are usually protected from the punishment Carter can deliver in practice, but Bauta went “live” in the scrimmage.

Another quarterback, Brice Ramsey, did not in a practice, but Carter went over that line.

“I was like ‘Aw, coach. I’m sorry. I didn’t try to,’” Carter said.

He said he was trying to hit the ball out of Ramsey’s hands.

“I really don’t watch him too much, but they call his name a lot,” freshman cornerback Malkom Parrish said. “I’m quite sure he’s playing like Lorenzo used to play. It won’t be shocking to me if he gets a lot of playing time this year.”

Carter said he feels stronger, faster and quicker after a couple of months on campus.

College practices are at a different level than high school.

“There’s no chance to slack off,” he said. “They record everything you do. The eye in the sky don’t lie and you’ve got to realize that.”

Yes, there is some “de-recruiting” that goes on with the coaches, but that’s on the field.

Off the field, he’s reveling in his time in Athens so far.

“I love it,” he said. “I know some people say the coaches change once you sign, but I feel like I made a great decision coming to Georgia because the coaches are the same people who recruited me. I still walk back and can hop in their office and sit down and talk to them whenever I want.”

Carter had his first chance to talk at Georgia Tuesday when freshmen defensive players were made available. His first game action in the red and black comes on Aug. 30 against Clemson.